Advocacy is an important part of the College’s strategic efforts to effect policy changes that will make a difference in ACP members’ daily work, professional development, and their patients’ health. The key to this is member/chapter support and involvement in advocating for issues that affect patients and the practice of medicine and are consistent with ACP policy.
While advocacy is mostly focused at the federal level, ACP believes that ACP chapter advocacy is essential, and while ACP does not systematically monitor or have the capacity to analyze specific state-level legislation/regulations, we are available to help chapters and members that would like to become more involved in advocacy in the areas identified below. ACP members should first contact their state chapter governor for guidance, if they have specific questions on a state/local issue or are interested in getting involved in advocacy at the local level, as the chapter may already be engaged on that issue.
For any and all chapter inquiries not addressed by your chapter governor or through the guidance below, we ask that you please complete this brief questionnaire so that ACP National can respond in the most efficient and timely manner possible.
- Advocacy at the Federal Level
- Advocacy at the State Level
- Advocacy through the Mainstream Media/Social Media
Advocacy at the Federal Level – ACP National Office can:
- Develop issue briefs/sample letters/talking points on ACP priority issues on the federal level for use in advocating with members of Congress. Materials will be provided through ACP’s Legislative Action Center (LAC) or the Leadership Day homepage.
- Alert chapters to important and timely legislative issues in Congress with request for their engagement through ACP’s LAC.
- Provide educational and promotional materials on ACP’s Advocates for Internal Medicine Network (AIMn), which is its grassroots advocacy program. Materials include sample promotional language on the AIMn program for use in chapter newsletters, sample slides on the program for chapter meetings, and AIMn brochures.
- Host state health policy webinars by ACP National on important and timely federal policies that also have implications at the state level.
- Assist in setting up meetings with members of Congress while in the district.
- Draft summaries of important federal regulations as a resource for chapters.
- Create mechanisms that enable chapters to provide feedback to ACP National on important and often time-sensitive federal regulations/policies.
Advocacy at the State Level – ACP National Office can:
- Feature important state-level issues as an integral part of ACP National’s hosting of State Health Policy webinars.
- Develop toolkits on federal policies the College deems ripe for advocacy at the state level and in state legislatures. Materials will be made available on ACP’s state health policy webpage.
- Provide tips and other materials to build an effective advocacy strategy on the state level.
Advocacy through the Mainstream Media/Social Media – ACP National Office can:
- Provide talking points on federal policies for use in letters-to-the-editor or op-eds for local media.
- Assist in identifying local media contacts for chapters’ use in advocacy at the federal and state level.
- Provide sample tweets/social media posts on policy issues for chapters to use in advocacy on the federal level.
Chapter Assistance Submission Checklist
Have you first consulted with your chapter governor to see whether the chapter is currently engaged in the issue in question?
Have you consulted the ACP Policy Compendium to determine if we have policy on the issue?
Have you consulted the State Health Policy Chapter Toolkits to see if we have a state advocacy toolkit on your issue?
If ACP does not have a policy position that addresses your issue, have you completed the Chapter Advocacy Assistance Request Form/Questionnaire?